The FASTEST Motorcycle from every decade

Many fast motorcycles, but man the Vincent Black Lightning is a boss

📚Check out my Children's Motorcycle Book!

Support the channel!

-Disclaimer-
Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."

#motorcycle

[lauramildon-clews]

I restored a 1952 Vincent black shadow in the 70s.It had a few tweaks and mods and I did get 140 mph registered on it's original speedo. How accurate that is is another story. It didn't handle really well and I never repeated that speed again. I sold the bike soon after as my parents suggested that it was not the best bike for a young woman to ride. I should have kept it knowing what it is worth now though. Regards, Laurajane from New Zealand

[philipmarwood]

I've got a 20 year old Kawasaki zx9r which claims to be the first production bike to crack the quarter mile in under 9 seconds, roughly means 0 to 140 in 9 secs.Still touches 170 mph but not recently on account of points on my licence.

[Jooeffoh]

I remember reading the review of the Kawasaki GPZ900 back in the 80's. I think it was in BIKE magazine and as I read it the journalist gave a great impression of just how fast it was. He talked of it decimating sports cars and mashing other motorcycles on the road.
It was a 155mph bike which seemed crazy at the time and the guy reviewing it heaped praise upon it. He was truly gobsmacked. Good memories!

[consolehacker]

A couple of years ago I had a 1986 Kawasaki Concours (GTR) 1000 touring bike, based on the water cooled GPZ engines and making about 100-110HP it was already fast, but VERY heavy. I stripped it down into a street fighter removing the fairings, luggage, a little bit of rear subframe, the just plain absurdly large stock mufflers, etc. Acceleration went from fast to actually a little bit terrifying. Great bike that I wish I never sold

[MarcoUchello]

The legend that was Vincent. Thats what happens when a Australian and a Englishman have a beer together

[bderrick]

Fun fact- The Curtiss V-8 motorcycle was hitting speeds of over 136 miles per hour back in 1907, a record that went unsurpassed by any other motorcycle for 23 years.

[deevnn]

I owned a Kawasaki 900 Z1B in 1975. Did a little work which included a Jardin exhaust 4:2, Koni's,
an oil cooler and rejetted the carbs. I took it to Ontario Speedway's public back road which was a
straight line stretch just under two miles and top speed was a tad over 130 mph. These days doesn't
sound like much but it was a blast.

[Lhenry-pfzn]

In the 1970s I had a Kawasaki H2 Triple, 2 stroke, 750cc. I don't know what the top speed was but in a straight line I was never beaten by anything.

[landedzentry]

We all wanted a Jota when were teenagers. I still do 50 years later. They’re £15k ish Oh well, I’ll have to get a Yamaha RD350 instead.

[DwightMS]

I remember reading an article written by a staff writer on a motorcycle magazine, about how he finally got a chance to take a sport bike up to an incredible speed they were capable of. It was a racetrack in France with a straightway several miles long. He got the bike up to about 180. He found it terrifying, hated it, and promised himself he'd never do it again. He felt like he was taunting death. And "motorcycles" was what this guy did.

[chrisgraham]

I'm surprised that Scott didn't feature in the pre-1920 period as in the days when clubmen would ride their road bikes to meetings, race, then ride home, many race organisers banned riders on Scotts from competing because no one would race against them as the Scott watercooled 2 stroke twins were too fast and had an unfair advantage.

[markmark]

For the 1960s, the 1969 Norton Commando 'S' was the first production motorcycle with quarter mile times in the 12's, as recorded in the motorcycle magazine road tests of the day, things happened very fast AFTER that as the 750 Honda 4 was ushering in the "modern motorcycle age". I still have Cycle and Cycle World magazines of that period with the road tests. The Nortons were geared a bit low with a 19 tooth counter sprocket but could pull 125 with a 21 "toother". It was an awesome time to be a young man in love with motorcycles (I was 23 in 1970). I feel that the Norton Commando was the greatest (over all performance wise) of the old school bikes, coming on the scene the same year as the 750 Honda 4 did, closing out one era while the Honda opened up the new one. The "performance wars" among the Big 4 in Japan for the next decade and a half were VERY SIMILAR to the "car wars" between the American Big 3 from 1955 on to the end of the 60s. It was a very cool time to be a young gear head.

[williamjonas]

THE VINCENT WAS THE BEST IN LOOKS AND POWER AND STILL IS .

[allanbowes]

I had a 1979 KZ1300 6 cylinder 'A" model no faring (Canadian model) which would go over 150 MPH. A big boys bike (seat height at 32 inches). You could get it to 9000 RPM in 5th. A very special bike. Weight was around 750 lbs., 3 - 2 barrel Makunes, no emissions on the Canadian model. I'm well retired but in some ways still miss it. Have a great picture on the wall.

[adingman]

Back in the early 70's my dad gave up riding to devote more time to his MG collection. For whatever reason he collected English bikes exclusively. In his collection were the usual bunch and a few off brands. He had a very low mileage, mint condition Vincent Black Shadow that he wanted me to have. I declined citing it was one ugly bike and I wouldn't be caught dead on it. He put the bike up for sale and sold it for $825.00 to a high school friend. I've been kicking myself in the ass ever since.

[davidharris]

My first ride on a motorcycle was a Black shadow as a youngster a pillion with my future BIL. Scared the crap out of me. I still ride to this day.

[cbk]

1973 Kawasaki it up to 140 mph one 140, the front wheel was bouncing all over the place. Once was enough for me. Great bike...lots of memories.

[donaldoehl]

I remember during/after the Gas Crisis of the 70s guys I knew in Detroit sold off their muscle cars and bought a clunker 4 wheeler and a Z1 Kaw. They could still race on Telegraph Rd and beat everything on 4 wheels while getting 40+ mpg around town. It was a no-brainer.

[andrewtucker]

The Vincent's are so beautiful. I had never heard of them until I watched another of your videos a few days ago.

[thearab]

A 1951 Vincent Black Lightning took the land speed record (for a series production bike) with 141.5 mph in 1952. I don't think it ever achieved 150 on a 2 way timed stretch. For anybody that doesn't know the song, 1952 Vincent Black Lightning by Richard Thompson is brilliant.